Real Housewives Of Atlanta Star Kandi Burruss Sues Kim Zolciak For Millions Over Use Of Hit Song ‘Tardy For The Party’

Kandi Burruss Sues Kim Zolciak Over Dance Song

More than three years after the song “Tardy for the Party” became an unlikely hit for former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member Kim Zolciak, producer and current RHOA cast member Kandi Burruss is suing Zolciak for not compensating her properly for her work.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in the United States District Court of the Northern District of Georgia, Burruss and co-writer Rodney Richards ﻿are seeking “damages for copyright infringement due to Defendants’ unauthorized and unlawful licensing, distribution and sale of Plaintiffs’ creative works, namely a sound recording embodying a performance of a musical composition entitled ‘Tardy for the Party. ‘ ”

This issue was a major plot point on the show season three, which aired in 2010 and 2011. On the show, Burruss complained that Zolciak hadn’t paid her what she was due for her work producing and co-writing the song. The conflict was addressed yet again last year during the season four reunion show though it appeared Burruss was ready to put it behind her.

In past news stories, Burruss said she had been paid only a one-time $4,000 fee. According to a Hollywood Reporter story in 2011, Burruss “didn’t have an agreement in place concerning royalties but also because she handed over rights to Bravo.”

She added at the time: “I know Kim was new to the music industry so I don’t feel like she was purposely trying to wrong me. I just think she was misinformed.”

The song was recorded on April 30 and May 1 of 2009. Burruss also sued TuneCore, which distributes music to online retailers.

Zolciak has used “Tardy for the Party” as a catchphrase and it’s the name of her upcoming spinoff show, debuting April 16 on Bravo, at 9 p.m., followed by Burruss’ “The Kandi Factory” spinoff music show at 10 p.m.